The present invention relates to the disorder known as pseudofolliculitis barbae, and more particularly to a method and topical preparation for treatment and prevention of pseudofolliculitis barbae.
Pseudofolliculitis barbae is the clinical name given to the condition commonly referred to as "razor bumps". Generally, the condition describes the ingrowth of emerged facial hairs back into the skin at a location closely adjacent to the follicle from which the hair emerged. This penetration back into the skin causes an antigenic, foreign-body reaction at the point of penetration, resulting in lesions consisting of firm papules and pustules in which the ingrowing hair can become buried. Additional infections can become superimposed on this basic state, augmenting the inflammatory reaction. As a consequence, shaving becomes problematic and painful.
From a purely mechanical point of view, pseudofolliculitis barbae comes about by virtue of strongly curved facial hairs. For this reason, the condition tends to have a greater incidence in males of the Negro race. These curved facial hairs emerge closely parallel to the skin and, owing to their curvature, are biased toward reentry into the skin. Because of their emergence so close to the skin surface, these hairs often are not closely cut at their point of emergence during shaving. Indeed, shaving exacerbates the condition (and to a large degree is the sine qua non for it) because shaving serves to obliquely cut these hairs, above the skin surface, leaving relatively sharp pointed tips which facilitate skin penetration. Before the next shaving, the point hair ingrows into the skin, bringing about the reactions and conditions earlier discussed.
Suggestions for dealing with pseudofolliculitis barbae involve both treatment and prevention. In terms of a dealing with a pre-existing condition, it is necessary to treat the lesions and any associated secondary infections, and for this reason various therapeutic agents and antibiotics have been suggested. With these effects of the condition in check, abstinence from shaving will generally take care of the condition itself because the continued growth of the curved hairs eventually results in a spring-like action which will pull the ingrown tip out of the skin. Obviously, however, total abstinence from shaving and/or repeated cycles of occurrence and treatment of the condition are not highly practical.
Prevention of pseudofolliculitis barbae per se has proven difficult. In theory at least, frequent shaving which cuts emergent facial hairs right at the skin surface could eliminate the condition by regularly removing hairs before they have had an opportunity to grow and reenter the skin. This theoretical solution has, however, proven to be highly impractical. In the first place, cutting facial hairs right at the skin level is difficult and, since frequent shaving concomitantly brings about frequent provision of sharp hair ends, onset of the condition actually is hastened. Further, efforts to cut facial hairs right at the skin level often involve a stretching of the skin which actually results in cutting of the hairs below the skin level. This can result in an intra-follicular ingrown hair wherein the sharp-tipped curved hair, instead of emerging from the follicle, penetrates the follicular wall and brings about the same or similar foreign body reactions as occur when a hair properly emerges from its follicle but then reenters the skin.
The use of dipilatory compositions has been suggested for prevention of pseudofolliculitis barbae, and can be effective in achieving the non-cutting removal of hairs before they can reenter the skin. Also suggested have been compositions which soften the facial hairs so as to inhibit their ability to penetrate the skin. However, most of the compositions suggested are such as to bring about skin irritation or other side effects when used in the frequency required to insure prevention of the condition.
On the general subject of pseudofolliculitis barbae, reference can be had to Strauss et al., "Pseudofolliculitis Of The Beard," A.M.A. Archives of Dermatology, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,525,344; 4,228,163; and 3,981,681.